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Home >> Blogs >> Editor’s blog >> What’s Next: From Talk to Transformation The Cross Continental Forum Was Only the Beginning What’s Next: From Talk to Transformation The Cross Continental Forum Was Only the Beginning
The Cross Continental Forum 2025 was more than a gathering—it was a blueprint in motion. At the core of the forum was one undeniable truth: the future of global storytelling is being rewritten by the Global South. 
“There’s a depth and richness in our storytelling that often gets overlooked in traditional spaces. I’m excited to see what solutions emerge to help
us produce these stories in ways that truly reflect the beauty, complexity, and brilliance already in the room.”
— Melanie Hoyes, Director of Inclusion at the British Film Institute In mid-June producers, funders, storytellers, and cultural strategists from across the world met for several days in Barbados to not only discuss problems but find solutions to produce culturally relevant films by creatives who tend to be overlooked by the Global North (who generally decides who gets to tell their stories and how). | CCF 2025 served as a real-time lab for creative problem-solving, cultural
equity, and economic strategy. With over 30 producers directly participating
and hundreds more reached through public events and screenings, the forum
sparked new partnerships, reshaped how stories are valued, and laid the
groundwork for future collaboration. | | | | | | | Key developments already in progress: | | | | - The CCF Manifesto
- A unified declaration of intent and action – documenting concrete next
steps from producers, partners, and collaborators, and signaling collective commitment to move decisively from conversation to co-
production. - Cross-Continental Collaborations
- New cross-border alliances are taking shape from Lagos to Kingston to Port of Spain – grounded in equity, creative ownership, and cultural authenticity.
- Financing & Policy Shifts
- Funding strategies and policy shifts are already taking shape across public
and private sectors, ignited by the ideas and commitments forged at the
forum. | | | | Stay Connected This was the second staging of the forum, and the movement continues to
grow. If you’re a funder, commissioning body, or industry ally committed to equity-
driven storytelling—we invite you to connect. Equity-driven storytelling needs bold partners. Join us as we shape a creative ecosystem where the Global
South leads, owns, and tells its stories on its own terms. Visit the official site to explore more and express your interest. This isn’t the end—it’s the shift.
@crosscontintentalforum on Instagram
ccf@creatorsofcolour.com | | | About The Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025 is a production of CaribbeanTales Media Group in collaboration with the Department of Creative and Performing Arts (UWI Cave Hill). Support for the CCF is generously provided by numerous organizations, including the Canada Media Fund, British Film Institute, Mango Bay Group of Companies, Invest Barbados, Inter-American Development Bank, Picture NL, National Cultural Foundation of Barbados, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Barbados Film and Television Association, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago, Telefilm Canada, and many other international partners. Guiding CCF 2025 is a Steering Group comprised of: Frances-Anne Solomon (CEO, CaribbeanTales Media Group), Andrew Millington (Head, Department of Creative and Performing Arts – UWI Cave Hill), CCH Pounder (Guyanese-born actor and activist), Dr. Keith Nurse (Founding Chair, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution and President of COSTAATT), Zikethiwe Ngcobo (CEO, Fuzebox Entertainment, South Africa), John Reid (Former CEO of FLOW Telecommunications, Caribbean and Latin America), Agnieszka Moody (Head of International Relations, British Film Institute), Chloe Sosa Simms (CBC Senior Advisor, Acquisitions), and international events producer Diana Webley (Director of Events, CaribbeanTales Media Group). | | | | |
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